London, UK
Founder and CEO
Sea Change Partners LLP
Russia is pitching for business throughout the region — with no moralising strings attached, writes Michael Burleigh. President Putin and his foreign minister Sergey Lavrov are ubiquitous in the region but more importantly, most of its potentates in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran and Egypt regard Moscow as the go-to destination. What is Russia up to and should the West be worried?
Michael Burleigh writes: "Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge, Parsons Green – an alarming spate of attacks in the course of a single year. MI5 and the police should be praised for thwarting numerous plots, particularly when you bear in mind that the authorities estimate there are no fewer than 23,000 people in the UK with the potential to become jihadis...we must be hard of heart and mind towards the hundreds of IS killers now held in detention in Iraq and Syria – and far too dangerous ever to be allowed back to these shores. These fighters would have enormous credibility were they ever to return to Birmingham, Luton or Walthamstow. The French response to this has been simple: the identities of its overseas jihadis has been quietly shared with pro-Western local militias. They will not be returning to France."
